Vehicle-spring



(No Model.)

H. G. SWAN.

VEHICLE SPRING. No. 403,622. Patented May 21 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. SVAN, OF OSHKOSH, \VISCON SIN.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,622, dated May 21, 1889.

Application filed February 25, 1889. Serial No. 301,042. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. SWAN, a citi zen of Oshkosh, in the county of Winnebago and State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Springs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertai'ns to make and use the same.

My invention relates to vehicle-springs, and more particularly to such as are employed in conjunction with pivoted rock-shafts.

Heretofore vehicle-springs of this general character have in most cases been provided with spiral springs, from which the elasticity or motion of the body was obtained. WVhere spiral springs are employed for this purpose they must necessarily be located either inside the body, and thereby obstruct the interior space of the body and prevent it from being used for other purposes, or they must be located underneath the body, in which case they present an unsightly and clumsy appearance, as they necessarily project so far beneath the vehicle as to be seen when passing through the street. To overcome these objections is the object of my present invention.

A further object is to so construct a vehiole-spring and attach the same to the vehicle that said spring may be adjusted to carry a heavy or light load, and at the same time equalize the motion of the body.

A further object is to provide a vehicle with a series of rock-shafts and a flexion-spring attached thereto and to the vehicle.

A further object is to furnish a vehicle with rock-shafts, a flexion-sprin g attached thereto and to the vehicle, and means for adjusting said spring for heavy or light loads.

lVith these objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and peculiar combinations and arrange,- ments of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a vehicle-body having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. is a section on the line 4c 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view of the liexion-spring and adjusting-bolt.

A indicates a vehicle-body, of any approved form of construction, having two series of sup porting brackets or boxes, a a, fixed to the bottom thereof at points near its ends. Revolnbly mounted in the brackets a a are rockshafts l) l), the rock-shafts I) having forwardly-extending arms 0, provided with eyes 0', for the reception of the usual shackles by which it is attached to the vehicle-gear, and the rockshafts I) having rearwardly-extending arms 0 also provided at their free extremities with eyes by which they may be shackled to the vehicle-gear. The rock-sl'iafts Z) are further provided with arms d, which extend inwardly and meet at or near the center of the vehicle-bottom, Where they are bent downwardly somewhat, as shown in Fig. 2, and provided with eyes 6, for a purpose hereinafter ex.- plained.

The inner ends of the rock-shafts l) are provided with arms (1, which extend inwardly to a central point beneath the vehicle-body and slightly above and in the same vertical plane with the terminations of the arms (I of rock shaftsb, said arms (1 being also furnished with eyes 6 at their inner extremities.

Shackles f, having thickened lower ends, are made to embrace the inner extremities of the arms (Z d, and'are provided with perforations for the reception of bolts 9 7z,which pivotally connect said arms together, the inner extremity of one set of arms being in a vertical plane relatively to each other, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The bolt 7L also serves to pivotally connect to the arms (Z (1 one end of a flexion-spring, E, the inner end of said spring being inserted between the arms I) and provided with eyes or loops t for the reception of the bolt 72. The opposite end of the flexionspring E bears against the under surface of the bottom of the vehicle-body, while the central portion is connected with the vehicle-bod y by means of an adjustable clevis-bolt, j.

It will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 that the fieXion-spring E extends from its pivotal connection with the arms (Z (l of the rock-shafts to a point near the rear end of the vehicle-body and between said arms.

The clevis-boltj consists of a lower yoke portion, 70, and an upper screw-threaded portion, 7;, which passes through a perforation in the vehicle-bottom, and provided near its upper end With a nut, 70 The yoke 7c is adapted to embrace the flexion-spring at or near its center, each arm of said yoke beingprovided with an aligned perforation for the reception of a bolt, Z, which passes through said perforations and through perforated lugs or cars 76 on the spring E.

It will be seen that when the load is placed in the vehicle-body, the outwardly-extending arms of the rock-shafts being shackled to the vehicle-gear, the inwardly-extending arms (1 01 will be depressed, the brackets or bearings a' a being the fulcrums. By this means the fleX- ion-spring E will receive the entire load, and on this spring Will depend the elasticity or vertical motion of the body.

By means of the adjustable clevis-bolt connecting the spring E to the vehicle-body said spring may be readily adjusted to accommodate heavy or light loads.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a vehicle-body and rock-shafts connected thereto and provided with arms loosely connected at their inner ends, of a spring loosely connected at one end to said arms and bearing at its other end against said body, and a spring-supporting device at a point between its ends, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a vehicleand rockshafts mounted thereon having arms pivotally connected together, of a fleXion-spring pivotally connected to the arms of the rockshafts, and a .clevis-bolt for adjustably connecting the fieXion-spring with the vehicle, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, With a vehicle and rockshafts mounted thereon having arms pivotally connected thereto, of a flexion-spring pivotally connected to said arms, and a clevisbolt having a yoke at one end to receive the fieXion-spring, a screw-threaded upper end to pass through the vehicle-bottom, and a nut on said bolt, whereby the tension of the flexionspring may be regulated, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, With a vehicle-body and a set of rock-shafts loosely connected thereto, of a fleXion-spring secured to the body by means of an adj listing-bolt, the free inner end of said spring being connected to the inwardly-extending arms of the rock-shafts in a manher to permit the free vertical movement of the body, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY C. SWAN. Witnesses:

F. O. STEWART, FRED TELKE. 

